Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

This is what happens when you put unrealistic goals and force reps to sell it with the fear of them being fired if they don’t.

Managers were stressed so they would find any way they could to push the sale.

You know how many “free” screen protectors people got? It was a masked sale so they could take the money and use it to sign up people for Directv and use that cash to pay the $20 activation fee to get the tech to show up.

It still happens, now they are on to att tv.

Wow

I will confirm that the sales cheating with SBC went back to at least 1994. The top managers and top sales reps were always rewarded and the ones like myself that didn't engage in the cheating were always in trouble with management. I still remember names of some of the cheaters and how much time I spent fixing what the cheaters were getting rewarded with doing. God forbid if you mentioned the names of the cheaters to management.

Finally escaped to the outside and retired with my head held high in 2016.

10 years ago they did something similar to landline. MA’s were instructed and coached in call centers to tell customers repair of the landline is over 14 days out, at the same time offer them a switch to cell service on that same call with a big discount. Techs in the field were up to date on repair calls. This went on for years around ‘05-‘07.

Yikes! Someone post the link on reddit so this can get some attention.

At the same time a lot of people lost their jobs because of the tremendous success of moving people from Uverse to DTV Now.

Wow. As a Turner employee defrauded with the fake ATT 'employee di$count', this would explain why a separate employee, in separate transportation, showed up at my cable installation with cell phones I had never expressed an interest in arranging for. I was not home at the time, but every time I called inquiring about free phones I was led to believe I was getting, despite not signing up for cell service, no explanation was provided.

Even with my last 'upgrade', an additional employee talking about cell service appeared, then wasted my time with a text about calling me later the next week to discuss service I expressed no interest in from this company. I sent a lengthy response explaining why I was continuing with my currtent provider and I mysteriously and refreshingly have heard nothing further. I'd be glad to obtain some new equipment for free but I have no interest in your non-customer oriented service.

They’re still doing it with ATT TV, every store in my area except maybe a small handful. I refuse to do that sh1t. A customer comes in to Upgrade, Activate lines, change plans automatically get ATT TV and reps throw on the military discount- telling the customers the TV is free with your new unlimited plan. Soon as customers notice their credit card charge a month later, they’re in flipping out, and who can blame them? And these reps and managers are hailed as heroes and superstars. Same old scam

Why is anyone surprised, this is how all corrupt corporations work, the top dogs bark. Unrealistic orders, then the minions to keep their jobs have to resort to these shenanigans, of course by the time it all comes out the execs have long pulled their golden parachutes and just feign unawareness and how could those guys fake the numbers.. Dig deep. Enough in any organization where sales quotas are needed and you'll find similar stuff. But T is particularly bad.

This sh– started back in the SBC days while uncle ed was at the helm. We were getting POTS orders with a half dozen and sometimes more jack installs with the service install. Never had 1 customer that actually ordered the jacks. At the time you had to call in to the BO to get them removed. As soon as you mentioned removing jacks from the order they put you on hold to never return. At the time the rep that removed the jacks lost them from their monthly total. The system wouldn’t take them from the rep that wrote the order. We closed hundreds of orders that had unremoved jacks because of this and hundreds of customers that had to call a month later to have the charges removed from their bill. If it involves sales, you’re dealing with a trained liar.

WOW! More people need to know about this.

Great article and link. Company now blames sales reps, store managers, even directors. What is unsaid are those stores and reps and directors were only addressing pressure put on them by Randall, Stankey and Donovan. Unrealistic sales promises, pushed the company to do unethical acts. Those three are the ones that should be put on trial and in jail. We all have seen this before with unrealistic targets for our bonuses and when we don't get it they pay us less than 100%. Absolute unethical bunch that should be in jail.

Ceo should go to jail. None of this take it out on sales team when we know for a fact they are pressured. If you or I did this we would go to jail for identity theft. But when corporations do this it is a business model. I remember when I called customer support for something they ended up selling me something I did not approve and I just wanted help I didn’t want to buy anything. That is when I started to look for a better company to work for and immediately stopped using all their services. Everybody up the sales chain to the ceo should get jail time for identity theft. Period.

Typical AT&T Senior Management, blaming the sales team for their cr@ppy products & price plans instead of owning their own lack of focus and execution. The result is unrealistic sales quotas & deception. People doing the work have to create a Potemkin Village to avoid the wrath of "leadership", so they're forced to choose between their jobs and unethical practices.

Deceptive Randy did it again...LOL

Wells Fargo 2.0?